Be your own opinion leader: Jada Pinkett

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith says it it not advisable to follow a set approach all the time.

The 42-year-old actress posted a letter of advice to a friend on her social networking website Facebook page, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"I will tell you this, I have learned that just because something has been done a certain way for a long time does not mean that it's the appropriate approach for you. Conditions and traditions are great when they work.

"When they don't, I believe it's important to muster the strength to create the dynamics that specifically work for the experience we desire to create and is unique to our lives, and it almost never reflects what is 'accepted'. Who said our decisions, our lives must look like anyone else's?" she posted.

"Be your own opinion leader and let your approval, in regard to your own life, be enough," she added.

She is married to actor Will Smith and the couple has two children - 15-year-old son Jaden and 12-year-old daughter Willow.

Jada had previously hit back at her critics for blasting her parenting skills after she let her daughter shave her head last year.